Date of release: February 5, 2020
The City of Paducah, Paducah & Louisville Railway, and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet worked together yesterday to solve a flooding issue at the intersection of Bridge Street, Irvin Cobb Drive, and Locust Street near the railroad tracks.
After receiving calls from citizens, the City of Paducah responded to review the situation. It was quickly determined that the backing up of the water was due to a clogged pipe below a section of Paducah & Louisville Railway’s track that doesn’t receive traffic at this time. The fast-moving water of the rain event had caused debris to clog the pipe.
During the afternoon, the entities worked together to solve the issue. The problem was resolved Tuesday with the assistance of the mobilization of equipment by Jim Smith Contracting to remove a portion of the rail bed under the direction of P&L and the Paducah City Engineer. This work allowed the flooding in that area to drain to Island Creek.
Mayor Brandi Harless says, “I want to thank the City’s team, P&L Railway, and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 1 for their swift response. I was pleased to hear that water should begin to drain again as normal.”
“This is an example of an issue that typically is not known until a significant rain event causes a backup,” adds Mayor Harless.
The National Weather Service Office near Barkley Regional Airport reports a record rainfall event for Tuesday, February 4 with the area receiving 2.63 inches of rain.
This section of Bridge Street and Irvin Cobb Drive are State routes maintained by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
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